Supply system for film and filamentforming machines



May 16, 1950 c. E. HENDRIXSON, JR 2,507,594

SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR FILM AND FILAMENT-FORMING MACHINES Filed June 29, 1948 INVENTOR. CHARLES E. HENDR/XSOMJR.

BY j,

Patented May 16, 1950 SUPPLY SYSTEM roismimsnmsmsn'r- FORMgING ES Application June 29, H

10 Claims 1 This invention relates to a supply system for machines for producing films, sheets, rods, tubes, horsehair, filaments, ribbons and the like.

In the production of structures of the types just mentioned, of viscose, it is necessary to take certain precautions to prevent the setting up of viscose in the return lines where portions of viscose tend to become stagnant. It has here tcfore been the practice to re-cycle or re-circulate a small amount of viscose from the end of a supply header for a filament-spinning machine back to the pump which forwards the material to the machine. This system 'has'the disadvantage. of requiring for most installations, an exceptionally long return line and thus it gives rise to a large capital investment relative to the good ac.- complished.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved system which requires a much smaller capital outlay to accomplish the 1 end mentioned hereinabove. In general, the press ent invention contemplates the provision of two headers which are connected at one end to a Charleston, W. Va, 0051: Corporation, Wilon of Delaware 4.8, Serial No. 35,935

opposi e-header A ai ins ead of havi a i iere o in the number of orifice the e m y b -ifi e noe in t e 1 01 51 orifice area resultin from the difierent size of the individual orifice Provided an oppo ite sides of he machine. such may be the case when spinnin filament .o o

2 size on on side of the machine and filaments of 3mm)?! size on the other ide- Again, the in- '2 te nal cross-section or the headers :may be difresent though the total load upon the header to in the instance above.

m rits of the elatively unbalanced load referred When the viscose headers are employed for supplying a cellophane machine. th header on one side may supply the common supply line and are connected together 1 at their other end so as to form in effect a loop. The two headers are connected to viscose-consuming devices of such a character that there is a relatively unbalanced load therebetween which may be defined as a difierence between the ratios of viscose consumption to header cross-section for the respective headers. case, the two headers are connected to an unbalanced load by which is meant that one supplies a larger amount of viscose than is needed at the ultimate point or points of consumption directly connected to the header as compared to the amount supplied by the other. For example, the two headers may supply opposite faces of a dual-sided or dual-faced spinning machine provided with a greater number of spinnerets on one side (say 50) as compared to the number on the other side (Say 45), the spinnerets being otherwise identical so that a portion of viscose supplied by the header on one side (the headers being of the same size) flows around the end of the loop to supply a portion of the viscose requirements on the other side of the machine where a larger number of spinnerets are provided. Instead of having a greater number of spinnerets on one side than on the other, each side may have the same number of spinnerets but the number of orifices in those on one side may be different than the number in those on the other side so that a portion of the viscose proceeding to the first. spinnerets must be derived from the pass and widths of sheetsreedbox 10. the die of anmachine for producing tosupply machines for making the same thick- It is to be understood that these are not acomplete list of the various In the most common "possibilities and that the system is adapted to the tummy of machines iormaking rods, tubes, such as sausage casings, etc.

In the drawing which is illustrative of the invention, the invention is illustrated in connection with a filament-forming machine and as shown, the spinning material such as viscose is supplied through the line 3 to branch pipes 4 which are connected with headers 5 on opposite sides of the machine. The headers 5 are connected at their other ends to an inter-communicating pipe 6 and are provided with a number of branch pipes 1 of smaller cross-section which lead to spinnerets 8 disposed on opposite sides of the machine. The branch pipes 1 and spinnerets 8 are omitted from a portion indicated at A along one end of the left side of the machine so that a larger number of spinnerets are supplied by the header on the right side, say 3 to 10 more, than on the left side. Three-way valves 9 in the branches 4 communicate also with lines l0 so that if desired the viscose may be passed around a complete circuit and discharged through one of lines It] after passing through the circuit for the purpose of flushing out the lines if desired. Individual gear pumps (not shown) may be provided in each of the lines I as is conventional.

In normal operation, the three-way valves or cocks 9 are turned so as to blank ofi lines It and to allow the viscose from the siipply line 3 to pass through both lines 4 into the headers 5. Since more spinnerets S are supplied in the right side header, a portion of the viscose supplied through the left header proceeds around the end pipe 6 to provide the additional supply of viscose needed. This causes continuous flow ofthe viscose throughout the header system 'and' requires a minimum of piping over and above what is nor mally required for a machine. The system is just as efiective when used to supply other viscoseconsuming devices. 8 on one side of the machine may be replaced by a single closed hopper communicating with a slit die for the production of cellophane, the other .side being connected with a similar die but having For example, the spinnerets I to a machine having a plurality of spinnerets on each side thereof for spinning artificial filaments comprising dividing the material into two streams flowing to intercommunicating termini, one for supplying the spinnerets on each side of the machine, and maintaining an unbalanced delivery load: capacity ratio for the two sides of the ma chine whereby a portion of the material in that stream having the lesser ratio flows to the end of the other stream and supplements the material thereof to supply the spinnerets it serves.

. ber of spinnerets on each side of the machine.

;a shorter slit or a narrower space between the adjacent lips thereof.

While the invention has been described particularly with respect to viscose, it may be employed for the handling of any material which tends to harden with ageing. Examples of such materials are thermosetting materials, such as urea formaldehyde resins containing a hardening agent, phenol formaldehyde resins in the presence of a hardening agent, melamine formaldehyde resins in the presence of a hardening agent and the like. In employing such thermosetting resins, the embodiment described may be modified by the substitution of injection or other molding devices for the spinnerets.

It is to be understood that the drawing and the description thereof are of illustrative character and that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of supplying a material tending to set up on ageing to a plurality of locations of use comprising dividing the material into two streams flowing to intercommunicating ends, each of which delivers to at least one consuming element and one of which has an excess of the material over the amount consumed by the ele-' ment or elements supplied thereby, and directing said excess portion of the material to the end of the other stream.

2. The method of supplying a spinning material 4. The method of claim 2 in which the unbalance is obtained by providing spinnerets having different sizes of orifices on each side of the machine.

5. The method of claim 2 in which the unbalance is obtained by providing spinnerets having a different total number of orifices on each side of the machine.

6. Apparatus comprising two headers, a pipe connecting each pair of the adjacent ends of the headers, a feed line connected to one of the pipes, at least one delivery line connected to each header, the ratio of delivery load: internal crosssectional area of one header being difierent than that of th other so that a portion of the material flowing through one header continuously flows around to the end of the other header.

'7. Spinning apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which each delivery line is provided with a spinneret.

' 8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 in which the number of delivery lines directly connected to the headers difler.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 in which the total number of orifices in the spinnerets provided in the delivery lines directly connected to the headers difier.

10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 in which the total orifice area in the spinnerets provided in the delivery lines directly connected to 5 the headers differ.

CHARLES E. HENDRIXSON, JR.

No references cited. 

